1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to display apparatuses and more particularly to an advertising and information display which is designed to be mounted on the front edge of a product supporting shelf within a store.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Typical self service retail stores, such as drugstores, supermarkets, computer software stores, liquor stores, and the like, have rows of multiple tier shelves which are to be used to support products for sale. The product, or the exterior package of the product, is visually displayed on the shelf. Generally, there are many units of a particular product stocked on that shelf. The consumer will normally select a product from the shelf without the assistance of a clerk. Therefore, the shelf also performs a dispensing function.
It is common for product manufacturers and distributors to want to include a display advertisement at their shelf location for a particular product. While a product is readily visible on a shelf, the mere presence of the product, because the product is displayed with numerous other products on the shelf, may be insufficient to stimulate consumer interest. Shelf space in a store is a valuable commodity. The amount of shelf space assigned to each product is at the minimum. A given product can become "lost" on a shelf amongst all the other products. Also, the product may be enclosed in a small package so that there is no large "advertising" surface to catch the consumer's eye or the available space on the package may be insufficient to contain all the information that a manufacturer or retailer wishes to impart to a potential purchaser. Additionally, the product may be packaged in a plain wrapping or, in the case of produce, no packaging at all. There also may be involved some kind of specialty promotion with a product that is not included on the package since the promotion may only run for a short period of time.
Manufacturers and retailers are becoming aware that shelf advertising can be an exceedingly effective way in which to sell goods. Not only can the advertising motivate a consumer's purchase, but it also can be informative to the consumer about the product. Shelf advertising is limited as to available space. The only convenient location for shelf advertising is at the front edge of the shelf which is short in length, usually no more than four to ten inches in length, and only occupies generally an inch to an inch and one-half in height. However, if some form of device could be mounted on the front edge of this shelf and the device constructed in a manner to be expandable to a larger area so that additional information can be printed on the larger area and then made available to the consumer only when the consumer is interested in obtaining that information, then such an advertising device would be most desirable. Also, when the consumer is not utilizing the device, the device assumes a retracted state occupying a minimal amount of space when it is not used.
In the past, it has been known to mount a scroll type of device on the front end of a shelf where the scroll can be unwound to display advertising or information about a product, and then when released by the consumer, the device retracts to a small sized, at-rest position. However, in the past, such scroll type of devices have been constructed to be complex and not capable of being manufactured at a relatively inexpensive cost which is inherently necessary in order for widespread usage of such devices. Another problem with former art scroll devices is that such visually block the price channel without including a space for the retailer to place price, inventory or bar code label. Modern stores rely on these labels for price, manage inventory and reorder stock. Additionally, such scroll type devices of the prior art have not been easily mountable on the front end of modern shelving requiring the use of an unattractive and rather large sized C-type of clamping device that is used to clamp onto the shelf. It would be far more desirable to have such an advertising device to be quickly and easily attached and detached to the front end of a shelf without utilizing of bulky in size and unattractive clamping devices specifically, attach the advertising device to the price channel of modern retail shelving.
In the past, another way to include advertising at the point-of-purchase location on a shelf is to mount a freestanding sign which extends outward from the shelf. However, such freestanding signs protrude into the aisle area which is used for the passage of the consumers with the result that such signs are frequently struck by the consumers and knocked free from the shelf therefore becoming ineffective. Also, the usage of such freestanding signs generally obscures the shelves making it somewhat difficult to the consumer to visually find a particular product that the consumer wishes to purchase. Also, such freestanding signs have to be quite small in size therefore being very limited as to the amount of information or advertising that could be placed thereon.